Ah my boy Kramer, it has been about a year but I still find it hard to think about him and not get choked up.  My Kramer came to me pretty much by default.  His name was Buddy and he was in a shelther in CT for about 4 months and he was quickly moving onto the unadoptable list.  His time was running out and so doberman rescue lists went into overtime for the boy - he was slated for euthanasia the coming weekend.  His story was he was living with an old woman who was senile.  She would forget for days on end to feed him, and she would leave him outside for days simply because she forgot he existed.  So finally her family stepped in and moved her to a nursing home and sent Buddy packing.  He was billed as six years old because no one really knew, the woman was his second home and had him for three years.  But he was six the same way some people are 39 for 10 years.  He was an all natural boy, and no one wanted him.  So the emails went out and armed with his pictures in hand I went around the hospital I worked in and started looking for a home for Buddy.  And to my surprise, one of the nurses I work with, who had a very dog friendly male lab at home said she would take him.  Dobe rescue picked him up and transported him to Margaret.  At first it sounded like it was going to be a good match.  Her dog Barkley loved Buddy and Buddy followed him around like his long lost friend.  And her son adored him - Buddy would hang out with him and his friends do some serious male bonding.  Then the diarrhea started - and it was more than Margaret could deal with in her house with white carpets - she tried.   She covered the rugs with blankets, but she quickly tired of doing loads of laundry, he was just more than she had bargained for.  In addition, when she was trying to pick a new name for him she was thinking Tigger because of this unusual hopping gait he had - listening to her description I told her he likely had CVI.  Well margaret decided that Buddys time in fact was up and scheduled him for euthansia.  I couldnt see doing this without at least trying to deal with some of his medical problems.  The timing was bad for me to take in a new dog.  My husband was not in town for an extended period, I didnt know how I could swing it.  But I felt bad that this sweet boy didnt get a chance.  So I offered Margaret an open check book - I would pay for all his medical expenses if she would provide him a home.  No go.. so instead I told her to take him to my vet for a medical tune-up.  I couldnt take him home for a few days as I had night call coming up.  So my vet had 3 days to work on him and get his treatment started and the first time I met Kramer face to face he was coming out of anesthesia - laying on the floor of a pen shaking and looking awful.   The next day I came to pick him up and take him home - he was a cute old coot - kinda thin but otherwise looked pretty good.  Here is a picture of soon to be Kramer on his first week in his new home "buddy" did in fact have a typical CVI gait, one of the cutest things was watching him bounce in the yard, ears flying.  He seemed not to know his name Buddy and in retrospect I think it may have been because he was a tad hard of hearing - Buddy was not six years old!   I am guessing between 10 and 12.  But I was mulling over names with my husband (who had not yet met him) and he suggested Kramer based on his unusual gait.  What a GREAT name for him!!! It fit him to a T.  My Kramer, he was such a cool boy.  So full of himself we did have a few fireworks in the first week he came - he decided he should be boss which of course jane did not appreciate.  But the minute he got excited and even thought about fisticuffs he would fall over - you had to laugh - poor old dude with CVI.  So quickly he figured out the young turk was big boss and never looked back.  The saddest thing for me was what Kramer did every night - he would roam the house hours on end just looking for food.  One time he was on the ground trying for about 30 minutes to get under a table - I couldnt figure out why - until I saw his precious goal - a crumb.  Literally a crumb.  But I am sure that is how he survived with his senile caretaker.  He was a scavenger.  Kramers medical problems were significant.  Because of his CVI and chronic colitis he had little control of his bowels.  We were able to control his colitis with medication, and able to deal with his fecal incontinence by stimulating him to go when he was outside.  He also was incontinent of urine - part of that was living with a senile woman - he had just learned to go in the house.  So armed with belly band lined with diaper and poise pads we could deal with that too.  When you saw him standing still with tail straight out you knew what he was doing but it all got absorbed.  His CVI initially manifested only in his unusual gait, incontinence and occassional falling down when excited.  About 3 weeks after he came to live with us my husband came home.  I have never seen love at first sight like betwen these two.  The minute my husband walked in the door Kramers face just lit up like a neon sign.  It was like Carl was the person he had been waiting for his entire life.  And it was mutual - the two old men!  The bond between them was instantaneous and profound.  I have never seen anything like it.  Kramer found his soul mate, his life was now complete.    The sad part about Kramer was verbalized by the holistic vet who was giving him acupuncture treatments for his CVI - here finally the old boy was emotionally fulfilled just as his body was failing him.  And it was.  His CVI was progressing despite treatment.  Short course of steroids seemed to help him more than anything but his disease was progressing.  He started having trouble getting up when he slipped and fell.  We were finding him with his hips splayed out not know how long he had been down.  So my husband started to take him to work with him everyday - the bond continued to grow.  When he couldnt go we would leave him laying down on his bed so that he wouldnt have to deal with falling when we were gone.  That worked well.  When we were home we would just help him up when he fell so he could continue his roaming - while his desparation over food went away he never stopped the roaming completely.  When he slipped he had a special bark you knew immediately he was looking for assistance.  But despite his disability he was resourceful when it came to food.  One day my husband left a blueberry pie on the a ledge over and behind the kitchen sink - not easy to reach for a healthy dog.  Somehow old Kramer managed - he found him in the kitchen sprawled out on the floor with a big tummy and a big smile and a few remains of blueberry pie. But his disease was definitely progressing and a hard decision was going to press us in the near future.  He was such a happy boy though.  One of the things I am very grateful for is the wonderful weekend we had close to the end of his life - we went to a show on the Jersey shore - huge beach - sand was the perfect surface for Kramer - he could walk forever and not fall down.  It was just one of those great times with your dogs you never forget. A few weeks later on one esp cold morning Kramer wanted to go with my husband he was walking outside trying to get in the car, but it really was too cold for him to go so we laid him on his blankey, head on his pillow and covered him with more blankeys.  I dont know how I knew but as we came home and walked in my husband went to the living room and I hung back and asked something I never did - hows Kramer?  I dont know how I knew - he answered, he is gone.  He was laying exactly as we left him, the blankets undisturbed.  My sweet boy had gone to sleep and that was it.  He actually looked peaceful.  My dear Kramer, I wish so much we could have found you sooner.  You would have had so much fun with us.  But at least we could provide you with a good 8 months and show you how much you deserved to be loved and cared for, you were a gem of a dog and I will never forget you.